Kunar River

India has announced support for Afghanistan’s plan to build a dam on the Kunar River, marking a major geopolitical shift that could intensify Pakistan’s water scarcity.

About Kunar River:

What it is?

• The Kunar River, known as the Chitral River in Pakistan, is a transboundary river flowing through the Hindu Kush mountains, crucial for irrigation, drinking water, and hydropower.

Origin: It rises from the Chiantar Glacier near the Pakistan–Afghanistan border in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Countries Flow Through:

• The river flows east to west, originating in Pakistan’s Chitral region, entering Afghanistan’s Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, and re-entering Pakistan to merge with the Kabul River.

Tributaries: Major tributaries include the Pech River and Lotkoh River.

Mouth: It merges with the Kabul River near Jalalabad (Afghanistan), and this combined flow joins the Indus River near Attock (Pakistan).

Key Features of the Kunar River:

• Transboundary Nature: The river flows across Pakistan and Afghanistan, forming a critical part of the Indus Basin system shared by both nations.
• Glacial Origin: It originates from the Chiantar Glacier in the Hindu Kush Mountains, ensuring a perennial flow fed by snowmelt and glacial runoff.
• Course and Length: The river runs for about 480 km, beginning as the Chitral River in Pakistan, entering Afghanistan’s Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, and later merging with the Kabul River near Jalalabad.

Significance:

• Hydrological importance: Forms a key part of the Indus basin, sustaining agriculture and energy in northwestern Pakistan.
• Geopolitical hotspot: Emerging as a new axis of Indo-Afghan cooperation and a hydro-diplomatic flashpoint for Pakistan